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Strength comes pretty naturally to young men [Prov 20:29 the glory of young men is their strength] – sometimes you see this youthful strength even in an old man [Caleb – Jos 14:10-11] – but the strength we need in our lives is far more than physical strength – physical strength can do very little for us in the work of the Lord – here are some verses that show us how we obtain strength – we obtain strength from:

The Lord – God, Ps 18:1-2 “strengthen me” – you do not need a greater defense than he – he is right there to step in at any time – Jesus, Phil 4:13 – anything he wants you to do you can do through his strength – we are in his body – so we can be abased or abound and still be content – a missionary on a hard field, under-supported, can be strengthened to continue – Holy Spirit, Eph 3:16 – strengthened with might in the inner man – mainly in our fight with the flesh and in the supernatural calling of God [spiritual gifts].

The way of the Lord – Prov 10:29 – we are reinforced by walking in the way of the Lord – when you step out of the way of the Lord is when you are weak – you end up walking through thorns and hedges, the way of transgressors hard, and evil pursueth sinners.

Grace – 2 Cor 12:9 – grace is an element of supernatural provision that more than compensates for our physical insufficiency.

Joy – Neh 8:10 – joy is one manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit – rejoice evermore – Paul wanted to finish his course with joy [Acts 20:24] – Jesus, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross [Heb 12:2].

Courage – Jos 1:9 – moral courage strengthens a man to stand and fight when every instinct in him tells him to run [Prov 28:1] – Joshua knew that he was in the right to be strong against the enemies that he would face in Canaan.

Conclusion: these seven things are better than a workout at the gym [though a good workout at the gym is not a bad thing] – concentrate your time and effort on these and you will grow stronger in the Lord through your entire life.